Leader of the House of Lords

Select Committees: Membership

lord balfe: To ask the Leader of the House whether she will present proposals to the Procedure Committee to amend the rules on rotation and membership of select committees to allow for the election by the House of members of committees for the lifetime of a Parliament.

baroness evans of bowes park: The rotation rule was last considered by the Procedure Committee in March 2014 (5th Report, Session 2013-14, HL Paper 167). Its proposal to reduce the length of membership from four successive sessions to three, in order to secure a regular turnover of membership and therefore broaden participation in the work of the House’s committees by members, was agreed to by the House (HL Deb 13 May 2014, cols 1771-1775). I have no plans to present further proposals to change the rotation rule to the Procedure Committee. However, other members are welcome to submit their own proposals to the Procedure Committee for its consideration.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Nigeria: Christianity

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the attacks (1) targeted at Christian communities in Nigeria, and (2) that haveoccurred in the north east state of Adamawa; and what assessment they have made of reports that the Nigerian airforce were responsible for one attack and that there was military collusion in others.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Recent violence between farmers and pastoralists across multiple states in Nigeria has had a devastating impact. Our assessment is that the root causes of violence between farmers and pastoralists are disputes over land, farming rights, grazing routes and access to water, rather than religious motives alone. It is clear that retaliation attacks by both herdsmen and farmers risk escalating the violence. We welcome President Buhari's engagement on this issue. It is imperative that the Nigerian government works with the affected populations to develop a solution that meets the needs of all the communities affected.We are aware of allegations that the Nigerian Air Force launched airstrikes against farming villages in Adamawa State last December. The formal investigation by the Nigerian Authorities concluded that the strikes were intended to prevent herdsmen from attacking farming villages. We have seen no evidence of collusion by the Nigerian Armed Forces in attacks against farming communities in Adamawa State. It is essential that all action taken by the Nigerian Armed Forces and security services are in accordance with International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, and all incidents are fully investigated.

British Council

lord mcinnes of kilwinning: To ask Her Majesty's Government which countries have had a British Council establishment closed since 1990.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Since 1990, British Council offices in the following countries have been closed: Belarus, Bolivia, Brunei, Cameroon, Cote D'Ivoire, Denmark, Ecuador, Eritrea, Finland, Iran, Lesotho, Norway, Swaziland, and Sweden.

British Council

lord mcinnes of kilwinning: To ask Her Majesty's Government which countrieshave had a British Council establishment opened since 1990.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Since 1990, the British Council has opened new offices for the first time in Switzerland, Rwanda, Namibia, Taiwan, and Mozambique. They also established offices in the newly independent states of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Russia, after the break-up of the Soviet Union. Following the break-up of Yugoslavia, the British Council established offices in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovenia; they also opened offices in the Czech Republic and Slovakia when they became independent states.

Arms Trade: Burma

baroness kinnock of holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to develop international support for a UN-mandated global arms embargo against Burma.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Regardless of broader international support, a UN arms embargo would require majority support in the Security Council and the absence of a veto from any Permanent members. It is our assessment that there is insufficient support amongst Council members at this time but this is an issue under constant review. We have therefore concentrated on renewing and expanding the existing EU arms embargo.

Burma: International Criminal Court

baroness kinnock of holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with members of the UN Security Council to secure support in principle for referral of Burma to the International Criminal Courtto investigate alleged crimes against humanity committed by the Burmese armed forces.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UN Security Council visited Bangladesh and Burma from 28 April to 1 May. The importance of accountability was discussed in Bangladesh and Burma and between Council members. Referring Burma to the International Criminal Court does not have the necessary support from Council members at this time.

Arms Trade: Burma

baroness kinnock of holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with other EU governments about expanding the EU arms embargo to cover the sale of all equipment to the military and military-owned firms in Burma.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK was instrumental in renewing and expanding the EU arms embargo on Burma. This was adopted formerly on 26 April via written procedure. We do not support the introduction of financial sanctions (beyond asset freezes on individual military figures) at this stage. On balance the FCO believes targeting companies or sectors, and disrupting Burma's financial system, could harm economic development across Burma and impact worst the most vulnerable.

Zimbabwe: Elections

lord steel of aikwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Zimbabwe to ensure that the electoral commission is genuinely independent prior to the forthcoming elections.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary met Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Sibusiso Moyo on 20 April and our Ambassador met President Mnangagwa on 5 May to discuss Zimbabwe’s upcoming elections. At these meetings, we were clear that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) must be neutral and enjoy the confidence of all parties contesting the elections. While we welcome the appointment of a new ZEC Chair, the organisation must be scrupulously impartial and ensure it deals with all stakeholders equally.

Department of Health and Social Care

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation have taken as part of their assessment of whether to vaccinate adolescent boys against HPV; and when they expect to reach a decision.

lord o'shaughnessy: In July 2017 the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) published an interim statement on extending the human papillomavirus (HPV) programme for stakeholder consultation. The statement summarised the evidence considered and the steps taken so far. The JCVI reviewed the consultation responses in October 2017 and concluded that they were not yet in a position to finalise their advice on HPV vaccination for boys because of a number of outstanding issues. A copy of the JCVI Interim Statement on Extending HPV Vaccination to Adolescent Boys is attached. In February 2018 the JCVI agreed that it needed to see the results of the additional analyses before concluding its advice. The JCVI further agreed that legal advice should be obtained in response to stakeholder correspondence. The JCVI will conclude its advice once it has considered all the necessary evidence and legal advice has been considered. This work will continue through 2018 and timeframes for the JCVI concluding its advice are dependent on completion of the analyses requested.  



JCVI Interim Statement on HPV Vaccination
(PDF Document, 214.9 KB)

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government which countries provide HPV vaccinationsfor adolescent boys; which countries have published plans to implement such vaccination programmes; and what assessment they have made of the impact of HPV vaccination programmes where they have been implemented.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department has not undertaken an assessment of which countries provide human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for boys, which have published plans to implement such programmes, or the impact of such programmes where they have been implemented.The report, Milestones in HPV Prevention: Achievements and future potential of the cervical screening and HPV immunisation programmes, published in January 2018 by the vaccine manufacturer MSD states that, by March 2017, HPV vaccination had been introduced for boys in 11 countries. It also summarises recommendations for gender-neutral vaccination in a number of European countries. A copy is attached.From information in this report and local intelligence from Public Health England (PHE), the following 11 countries are thought to have introduced HPV vaccination for boys (or are planning to do so): Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada (in some provinces), Croatia, Israel, Italy (in some provinces), Liechtenstein, Serbia, Switzerland and the United States of America. It is also understood that HPV vaccination for boys is recommended in Ireland, Norway and Sweden but has not yet been introduced.It is still relatively early to detect substantial declines in HPV in males and it may not be possible to fully separate the impact from direct protection in boys, from that produced by the indirect effect of vaccinating girls (through herd immunity).PHE and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will continue to review results from studies conducted to monitor the impact of vaccination in countries who offer national HPV vaccination for females and males.



Milestones in HPV Prevention
(PDF Document, 2.64 MB)

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Corruption

lord mcinnes of kilwinning: To ask Her Majesty's Government which countriesthey are prioritising for anti-corruption aid between 2018 and 2020.

lord bates: DFID’s anti-corruption country strategies support the five DFID partner countries who attended the London Anti-Corruption Summit in 2016 (Afghanistan, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania) to deliver on their commitments. This is in addition to work with international partners to improve global standards and transparency, and strengthen international architecture to deter corruption and track stolen assets so they can be returned to developing countries.

EU Aid

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theyplan to continue to contribute to EU overseas aid projects in order to meet their spending commitments on overseas development aid.

lord bates: We believe it makes sense for the UK and EU, as leading global donors, to continue working together to alleviate poverty and to tackle shared global challenges. The UK is open to pooling resources with the EU, either through EU instruments or a bespoke mechanism, drawing on collective expertise to tackle specific global challenges and improve our combined impact. We have identified some specific thematic areas where we think a UK-EU strategic partnership would be in our mutual interest, such as humanitarian aid, migration and peace and security. In return for any UK participation (or funds) we would expect that the UK have an appropriate governance role at the strategic and operational level, and eligibility for UK entities to implement relevant programmes. It is also important to remember that the vast majority of the UK Development work is not done via the EU. We remain committed to spending 0.7% of GNI on development by working through other multilateral and bilateral delivery channels, and achieving the Global Goals by 2030. Post EU Exit we will be able to better target UK aid to the poorest people in the world and in the best interest of UK taxpayers; and improve on the EU’s trade offer for developing countries

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of non-disclosure agreements that have been agreed between building owners and contractors relating to the correction of poorly installed cladding systems on high-rise buildings following the Grenfell Tower fire.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The government does not hold information on or records of non-disclosure agreements between private building owners and contractors.

Housing: Construction

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many affordable homes and units of social housing have been built with public funds in each year since 2015; and how this compares to the targets set for each of those years.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government does not publish annual targets for affordable housing.The delivery of affordable housing in England, including those that have been built with public funds, are reported in our live tables which can be (attached) found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply



Table 1000
(Excel SpreadSheet, 109.24 KB)

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Pensions

baroness kramer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial consequences for senior medical consultants in the Armed Forces of the combined effect of annual non-voluntary contributions which the military requires to be made to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme and current limits on annual and lifetime allowances for tax-free pension contributions.

baroness kramer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the retention of senior medical consultants in the Armed Forces of the effects of the non-voluntary contributions which the military requires to be made to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme and current limits on annual and lifetime allowances for tax-free pension contributions.

baroness kramer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe impact of compulsory contributions by members of the military to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme in the light of the current limits on annual and lifetime allowances for tax-free pension contributions.

earl howe: The Armed Forces Pension Schemes are non-contributory, defined benefit, final salary or career average schemes. They remain the only public-sector schemes that do not require their members to contribute to their future pension, and reflect the unique sacrifice the Armed Forces and their families make to this country. The Government has no plans to alter the schemes. Annual and lifetime allowance limits have reduced. Consequently, more senior officers are breaching their annual and lifetime allowances and incurring a tax charge. Options are available to these individuals to mitigate a tax charge, including using unclaimed tax allowance from previous years or asking their pension scheme to pay the charge out of future benefits. The Department is keeping the impact on retention of the changes under review.

Explosives: Seas and Oceans

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to combat the threat of modern digital mines at sea.

earl howe: As part of the active and ongoing research into Mine Countermeasures, the Government announced in May this year that the Royal Navy is currently undertaking trials of an autonomous minesweeping system. The findings of these trials will inform future decisions on the procurement of operational systems to defeat the threat of modern digital mines.

Syria: Armed Conflict

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 24 April (HL6880), which armed opposition groups they are supporting in Syria.

earl howe: The overwhelming effort in the fight against Daesh in Syria has been undertaken by the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fish: Conservation

lord steel of aikwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they have undertaken or commissioned into the decline of stocks of wild salmon and sea trout, and the polluting effects of farmed salmon.

lord gardiner of kimble: Freshwater fisheries and aquaculture policy is devolved in the UK. In England, Defra has funded numerous projects on factors that could contribute to the decline in stocks of wild salmon and sea trout. These can be found on the Defra research database at http://randd.defra.gov.uk/. We have not commissioned any research on the potential environmental impacts of salmon farming in recent years. The devolved administrations also have active research programmes on migratory fish and these can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/525279/Background_Salmon_Report_2015_final.pdf http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Salmon-Trout-Coarse/Freshwater/Researchhttp://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Salmon-Trout-Coarse/Freshwater/Research/Aqint https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/digest-statistics-salmon-and-inland-fisheries-daera-jurisdiction-2017

Food: Sales

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK manufacturers will be able to sell food and drink through to shelf-life after the UK leaves the EU.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government, as in previous practice when a change in legislation takes place, has no plans to disallow sales of food and drink that has been legally placed on the market at the time the UK leaves the EU. We intend that this food will be allowed to remain on sale until stocks are exhausted or the food reaches the end of its durability date.

Marine Conservation Zones

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of Marine Conservation Zones in the waters around England.

lord gardiner of kimble: The third tranche of marine protected areas, including Marine Conservation Zones will be consulted on this summer and designated next year. Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs) and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) are putting in place Monitoring Control Plans that measure the effectiveness of management measures in furthering the conservation objectives of MPAs. There will be a report to Parliament later this year analysing the effectiveness of our management and monitoring strategies delivered under the Marine and Coastal Access Act and the progress we have made in protecting our marine environment. For protected sites in the 12-200nm zone the Government is currently in negotiations with other Member States to introduce management measures through the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which will be enforced by MMO. Taking back control of our waters and maintaining our protected areas when we leave the EU are key priorities for the UK. We are currently analysing all fisheries legislation including CFP to determine what changes we might need to introduce.

Home Office

Deportation: Caribbean

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many members of the Windrush generation have been deported.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office has been checking around 8,000 records of removals and deportations dating back to 2002 to determine whether there have been any wrongful removals or deportations of Caribbean nationals who arrived before 1973.Of these 63 cases have been identified where the individual could have entered the UK before 1973. This is split between 32 Foreign National Offender deportations and 31 administrative removals.We are now reviewing each of these cases carefully in more depth - including bringing paper files out of storage if necessary - to determine whether anyone who was protected under the 1971 Act was removed or deported unlawfully. This work will be independently assured.This does not mean that 63 people have been wrongfully removed or deported. It is the number of cases which merit further investigation.

Deportation: Caribbean

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many members of the Windrush generation are in the process of being deported.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office is reviewing the cases of criminal offenders who may have arrived before 1 January 1973. No deportation action will be taken against these individuals until these checks are completed.

Treasury

Civil Liability Bill (HL)

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what provisionthey have made, or will make, for the loss to HMRC of £140 million per annum as estimated in the Impact Assessment to the Civil Liability Bill.

lord bates: The figure quoted in the Impact Assessment is a forecast based on a range of assumptions on the impact of the reforms. In line with their statutory duties, the independent OBR includes the impact of government policy at the forecast following the policy’s announcement. The Government makes decisions every year on tax, spending and borrowing taking into account such changes in forecasts.

Treasury: Internet

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cloud services contracts that were previously delivered by British cloud services providers for theHM Treasuryare now delivered by multinational cloud service providers; what is the value of those contracts; and what are the names of the previous providers.

lord bates: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Instalment Credit

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of rent-to-own schemes for electrical and white goodson low-income households.

lord bates: The government is committed to protecting consumers from unfair lending practises. To this end, the government transferred regulatory responsibility for consumer credit to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in 2014, and gave the FCA strong powers to protect consumers. The FCA is conducting a review of the high-cost credit market, and has noted concerns in specific areas of the market, including rent-to-own. The FCA will publish an update later this month, and the government will continue to work closely with the FCA to ensure that all customers are treated fairly.

Claims Management Services: Insurance Companies

baroness primarolo: To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence they have that insurers own or have financial interests in claims companies; and whether they intend to publish any such evidence.

lord bates: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is responsible for monitoring and regulating the insurance industry. The Treasury does not investigate the financial interests of insurers, nor does it hold this information.

Personal Injury: Compensation

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that the insurance industry will pass on to customers the majority of the £1.3 billion the impact assessment for the Civil Liability Bill estimates that industry will save.

lord bates: Her Majesty's Government will monitor the reaction of the sector to the reforms in the Civil Liability Bill and will regularly engage with them on how they are meeting their commitment.

Insurance Premium Tax

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much revenue they have raised (1) annually, and (2) in total, as a result of the increase in Insurance Premium Tax at(a) the standard rate from5 per cent in 2011 to 12 per cent in 2017, and (b) at the higher rate from 17 per cent in 2011to 20 per cent in 2017; and what estimate they have made of the impact of the Civil Liability Bill on the future annual yield at each rate.

lord bates: Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) is a tax paid by insurers on all general insurance premiums. Any price changes following IPT increases are pricing decisions made by the insurers. We cannot identify additional revenue that has directly resulted from an increase in Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) because increased revenue could also come from external factors increasing underlying prices and demand in the insurance market. We have estimated the impact of both the rate rises and the Civil Liability Bill at previous fiscal events. Increase standard rate to 6% and higher rate to 20% (Budget 2010)  2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-15Exchequer impact (£m)+115+455+445+455+455 Increase standard rate to 9.5% (Summer Budget 2015)  2015-162016-172017-182018-192019-202020-21Exchequer impact (£m)+530+1,460+1,510+1,530+1,550+1,580 Reform to motor insurance claims rules (announced at Autumn Statement 2015 - recosted for Autumn Budget 2017)  2017-182018-192019-202020-212021-222022-23Exchequer impact (£m)0-10-35-45-55-55 Increase standard rate to 10% (Budget 2016)  2016-172017-182018-192019-202020-21Exchequer impact (£m)+80+200+205+205+210 Increase standard rate to 12% (Autumn Statement 2016)  2016-172017-182018-192019-202020-212021-22Exchequer impact (£m)0+680+840+840+845+855 A time series of IPT receipts is available in the published Tax and NIC Receipts Statistics Table[1]. IPT receipts have increased from £2,941m in 2011/12 to £5,669m in 2017/18 (2017/18 figures are provisional and may be revised). We are not able to break down receipts by the higher[2] and standard rates as this information is not recorded on the IPT cash receipts record (i.e. the taxpayer would pay HMRC in a lump sum). However, we do publish a breakdown by liability declared on the traders’ returns[3]. This information is published biannually, with the latest release dating to December 2017. The IPT liabilities between January 2011 and December 2017 are as follows:Total IPT liabilities: £25.4 billionOf which accounted towards the standard rate of IPT: £23.6 billionOf which accounted towards the higher rate of IPT: £1.8 billion  [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk [2] The higher rate of IPT is an anti-avoidance measure that applies in specific circumstances. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/insurance-premium-tax/ipt04905[3] Information declared on IPT taxpayers’ returns (the liability) is inconsistent with the timing of the money paid (the cash receipts). Further information can be found here: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Tax and Duty Bulletins/ipt1217.xls

Duchy of Cornwall: VAT

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bates on 30 April (HL6867), why the Duchy of Cornwall has a VAT number from the Government department registration series.

lord bates: There is a single series of VAT registration numbers for all crown bodies.

Financial Services: Insolvency

lord lee of trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bates on 8 May (HL7245), what advice they give to stockbrokers and fund managers to ensure that client's assets are fully protected from Investment Bank Special Administration Rules and their related costs.

lord lee of trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 8 May (HL7245), what restrictions are placed on the level of costs for administrators operating under the Investment Bank Special Administration Rules; and where responsibility lies for monitoring such costs.

lord lee of trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bates on 8 May (HL7245), whether the costs of the Investment Bank Special Administration Rules can be taken from an individual's ISA or self-invested personal pension; and if so, whether that ISA or self-invested personal pension can be subsequently rebuilt and reimbursed to the previous level.

lord bates: The investment bank special administration regime (SAR) applies to a broad range of businesses which are authorised by the FCA to hold client assets. The SAR aims to reduce the impact of an investment firm insolvency, and has a statutory objective to return client assets as soon as is reasonably practicable. The SAR rules set out that client assets may be used to pay expenses which the administrator has properly incurred in ensuring client assets are returned. Under the rules, the administrator prepares a distribution plan which sets out how client assets will be returned, and how the administrator proposes the expenses of the special administration are to be allocated between clients. This plan must be approved by the creditors’ committee and then by the Court. The administrator is also required to produce progress reports on the administration. Under the SAR, relevant parties have the right to make an application to the Court if they consider that the administrator’s remuneration is excessive. Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) are tax-advantaged personal savings accounts. Where a firm managing an ISA becomes insolvent, cash or stocks and shares ISAs are treated like any other client assets held by the firm. The treatment of self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs) in insolvency depends on how the SIPPs are held at the particular firm and what services that firm provides in relation to the SIPP. If the SIPP assets are held by the investment firm as custody assets, then the costs of their distribution may also be deducted from these assets in the special administration. In the event of insolvency, and depending on the circumstances and eligibility, compensation under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) may be available for ISA and SIPP investments up to the relevant limit. ISA rules allow for any compensation to be reinvested outside annual ISA limits in order to protect the saver’s tax advantages.

Insurance Companies

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the capital requirements of insurance companies and review governance arrangements to ensure that they can compete on an equal footing with pensions superfunds.

lord bates: Her Majesty’s Government announced in the Department for Work & Pension’s recent White Paper ("Protecting Defined Benefit Pension Schemes") that it will consult later this year on an authorisation regime for “superfunds”. Her Majesty’s Government is in regular discussions with the relevant regulators and with industry, and will of course consider any potential impacts from possible changes carefully.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

S4C: Finance

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will guarantee an adequate level of funding for the S4C TV channel.

lord ashton of hyde: As part of our commitment to supporting the future of Welsh language broadcasting, the government announced in March 2018 that we will maintain S4C’s Exchequer funding at the current level of £6.762 million for 2018/19 and 2019/20. This is in addition to S4C’s funding from the licence fee which is guaranteed at £74.5 million until 2021/22.